


Why Don't We Just Dance?

by euphowolf



Category: Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Drama, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 04:40:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13628772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euphowolf/pseuds/euphowolf
Summary: Kanan goes to an Ohara family party.





	Why Don't We Just Dance?

**Author's Note:**

> Gasp, a sfw fic from AO3 user euphowolf? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Song that inspired the fic is Why Don't We Just Dance by Josh Turner. Yes, I love country music.

Kanan tugged self-consciously at her collar as she stared into the mirror. For the fifth time in ten minutes, she stopped her preparations to straighten her tie and examine the cuffs of her dress jacket. Mari had insisted she wear the black, close-fitting suit instead of a dress, despite her protests. Kanan was never good at saying no to Mari, and when she spied the undernote of pleading in the blonde’s playful eyes, she acquiesced quickly. She knew that the Ohara family’s formal business parties could often be a strain on Mari; her parents demanded that she show up to their functions and behave in a manner befitting of their social status. Inviting Kanan was obviously an act of small rebellion, but the diver was happy to take part if it meant making things easier for her.

She heard the sound of a car approaching and pulling up in front of her house, and she winced. Hurriedly, she checked herself one last time, then nodded at her reflection. Mari’s taste was good, and even if wearing a suit was unconventional, Kanan couldn’t deny that it fit her well. 

The chauffeur stood outside the black sedan and bowed low when Kanan exited her house. He held open the door for her and shut it gently once she slid into the backseat. As the driver started the car, she leaned herself against the window and watched the lights of her house fade away in the side mirror. She was incredibly nervous about the idea of arriving at the Oharas’ hotel by herself, but Mari had promised she would be waiting for her. She just hoped her friend knew what she was doing.

The drive was passed in silence. The chauffeur did not so much as glance at her, and she was grateful that she didn’t have to pretend at conversation. Her nerves were shot to hell as they were. She simply closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing deeply.

When the car pulled up in front of the hotel, plenty of the guests had already arrived. Kanan grimaced as she stepped out and into the warm summer night; one look and she knew she was out of place. Business magnates, up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and the odd small-time politician made their way in and out of the hotel. This was a gathering of the incredibly rich - of real fur draped over shoulders and rings shining on every finger. She wondered momentarily if it was too late to turn tail and retreat back into the safety of the sedan.

“Kanan!”

A familiar, cheery voice rang out, causing heads to turn in her direction. Mari waved as she pushed her way through the crowd. Kanan flushed involuntarily, but not because of the curious looks around her. She gazed at the blonde, unable to respond for several long seconds.

Mari was wearing a deep purple dress that hung off her shoulders and swept to the floor. Unlike some of her flashier outfits, it had no frills or embellishments, except for a tasteful green brooch set in the center, just above her chest. Her hair had been freed from its usual style and tied into a bun, exposing the pale skin of her slender neck. In the light coming from the party inside, she positively glowed.

“Uh, Kanan? Are you there?” Mari’s head tilted in playful confusion, and her question shocked the diver out of her reverie. She suddenly felt very underdressed, even if the suit was probably the most expensive set of clothing she had ever worn in her life.

“H-Hey,” she managed to stammer, straightening her back as if snapping to attention. Mari raised an eyebrow and smiled a little at her stiff posture.

“Are you okay? You look kinda stressed.”

Stressed was an understatement. Kanan took a deep breath, trying to clear away her nervousness. “Yeah! Yeah. You, you uh… look great,” she said lamely, and quickly decided to change the subject. “Hey, are you sure it’s really okay for me to be here?”

Mari just laughed and stepped forward, taking her elbow and pulling her along. “Duh! Come on, let’s go in!”

Kanan tried to ignore the stares as they breezed past the entrance. Instead, she concentrated on the warmth of Mari’s body pressed against her arm, the way it was comforting and strange all at once. The faint whiff of some floral perfume gently wafted from her direction, and Kanan breathed it in, relaxing a little. Coming along was worth it just to see Mari all dressed up and in her element, she reflected.

“You’re wearing heels,” she remarked, and Mari grinned.

“ _ Of course _ ! I love being even taller than you than usual!”

“You’re only 1 centimeter taller normally. Don’t let it get to your head.”

Inside, Kanan was greeted with the sight of even more insane displays of wealth. The ballroom sparkled with the light glinting off hundreds of pieces of jewelry. A live orchestra played soothing instrumental music in the corner. Waiters carrying wine and bite-sized culinary delicacies wandered the floor. 

Mari slipped from her side to stop one and deprived him of two glasses of something pale and fizzy, handing one to Kanan with a smile. Kanan sniffed at it and wrinkled her nose at the smell of alcohol.

“We’re still in high school, Mari,” she stated dubiously. 

The blonde scoffed. “Relax, Kanan! It’s a party. No one’s gonna care.” She held her drink out, almost as a challenge. “Cheers!”

Kanan hesitated, then shrugged and clinked their glasses together. The champagne was bubbly and sweet, tickling her throat on the way down. It reminded her of Mari, in a way - light, warm, intoxicating. She liked the taste. 

“I see you’re enjoying yourself, Mari.” 

The two of them turned to see an austere-looking, older man striding toward them. His expression was stern, his eyebrows furrowed into what was almost a glare. Behind him trailed two men in suits who looked very much like bodyguards. 

“Hi, Papa!” Mari’s voice was upbeat, but the way she took Kanan’s arm again and stepped back a little did not escape the diver’s notice.

“I see your… friend made it,” her father said, locking eyes with Kanan. She saw his gaze drift from the beverage in her hand to her suit and tie, which matched his in its sharpness but was obviously not something she should be wearing to an event of this caliber. She flushed, but matched his stare.

“Thank you for having me here, Mr. Ohara.” She shifted her arm, letting her hand snake down to intertwine her fingers with Mari’s and squeeze. The man’s eyes followed the movement before dragging back up to her face.

“Mari’s friends are always welcome. As long as they’re a good influence on her.” His cold, polite words did not hide his distaste and the thinly-veiled warning. Kanan held her gaze firmly, and after a moment, he abandoned his attempt at intimidation and turned his attention back to his daughter once more, leaning in close and lowering his voice.

“Don’t forget your duties. It’s important to form strong connections with these people. They will be part of your future, and the future of the Ohara business. You’re not here to drink or embarrass me.” At those last words, he glanced briefly at Kanan again. Stepping away, he added, “And next time, tell your friend that there’s a dress code.”    
Kanan looked at Mari as he walked off. Her face was downcast, lacking the mischievousness it usually had. A pang of anger and protectiveness shot through the blue-haired girl’s heart. 

“I don’t think he liked me,” she joked, after a beat of silence, trying to cheer the other girl up a little. The light-hearted comment did its job, and Mari cleared the glumness from her features.

“ _ Nonsense _ ! What’s not to love? Anyway, let’s go. Those little hotdog bites are calling to me.” She dragged Kanan along, never letting go of her hand. Kanan noticed how tight her grip was, and was privately glad she had come along after all. The thought of Mari having to deal with the extreme pressure to conform from her family all by herself made her sad. 

They made their way around the room, sampling various snacks and observing the people around them. Mari was back to her usual, silly self, dipping odd ingredients in the chocolate and cheese fondue fountains and making Kanan laugh. She recalled fondly the times when they would play hide-and-seek together with Dia in these very rooms, back when they were much younger. The nanny had certainly had her hands full with all three kids running around the Oharas’ hotel. 

“So Kanan, ready to marry into the Ohara family yet?” teased Mari. Kanan pretended to seriously consider the question.

“Hm… Well, I have to say the snacks are great, but I don’t know, I’ll probably get more money taking over my family’s dive shop.” At Mari’s tinkling giggle, she smiled too. 

The two were making a second pass along the buffet tables when they were stopped by Mari’s father once more. “Ah, Mari,” he called out. “Come. There’s someone I’d like you to meet. You there, could you get us something to drink?”

Before Kanan could even say anything, he put an arm around Mari’s shoulder and led her away. The two bodyguards circled around and stood imposingly in her path as she took a step forward, and she pulled up short.

Through the gap between the two, she saw Mari open her mouth to complain. “You can’t just treat my friends like that!” she was protesting, but he waved away the words impatiently.

“Quiet. This man is very important - he supplies necessary services to more than half of our hotels across the country. And he has a son about your age…” His voice faded out of earshot as they walked off, leaving Kanan standing in the middle of the ballroom feeling rather foolish. 

She watched anxiously as Mari’s father steered her over to a portly, middle-aged man and his well-dressed, casually rich son. She wanted nothing more to march right over there and drag her classmate away, but the bodyguards continued to observe her impassively, as if daring her to make a move.

Frustrated, she turned away. How was she supposed to help Mari if she couldn’t even get to her? She felt useless. She pushed her way through the crowd, thinking furiously about what her next move would be, and ended up in the area near the orchestra. 

Hands in her pockets, she gazed moodily at the players. She was long used to the Ohara family’s extravagance, but live music was simply excessive. The rest of the partygoers probably couldn’t even hear the gentle sounds of violins and piano over their own loud conversations. Why bother paying musicians if you weren’t even going to listen to them? Kanan knew from past experience that the sound system for the ballroom were already the best that money could buy…

She blinked and looked up suddenly, eyeing the speaker mounted high on one of the corner walls, above the orchestra. There were several others installed strategically around the room, and they had the potential to be quite deafening, as the members of Aqours had found the first time they set up for dance practice in the hotel. 

An idea began forming in her head, and she couldn’t prevent a slow grin from spreading over her face as she continued to eye the speaker overhead. It was reckless, and would definitely shatter the carefully cultivated atmosphere of refinement that pervaded throughout the room currently. Kanan was pretty sure, though, that Mari wouldn’t mind. 

In fact, she just might love it.

Trying to look nonchalant, she threaded her way easily through the crowd, to the sound controls near the back. No one gave her a second look as she fished out her old iPod. It was a bulky, archaic thing, one from the earlier generations that still had a circular dial, and she always meant to replace it. She thumbed through the song list in alphabetical order, looking for something suitable. For a moment, she debated using one of the songs from their group’s discography, but her eyes landed on a different title and lit up. They didn’t need choreography; they needed chaos.

She cast one last glance over her shoulder, singling out Mari immediately. Funny how that worked - she could find her anywhere. The blonde looked bored and distracted, looking around every few seconds. Her father still had a firm grip on her shoulder, and a hot flash of rage stirred in Kanan’s stomach at the sight. With a feeling of vindictive triumph, she plugged her music player into the auxiliary cord, perhaps with a bit more force than necessary. Cranking up the volume, she hit play, folded everything back into the wall, and walked quickly away from the scene of the crime.

The opening bars of the song began to blast from the speakers, and Kanan took a step back to watch as people’s heads turned in confusion. The orchestra faltered, then stopped as they were overpowered by the sounds of the guitar. The tune - upbeat and infectiously playful - was at total odds with the formality of the event, clashing wondrously with the partygoers’ styles. 

Mari’s father looked furious, twisting left and right to find the source of the music. From a distance, Kanan saw him point at his bodyguards, who hurriedly sped off to stop it. She waited for them to leave before making her move, striding purposefully towards him and Mari. The blonde noticed her approach and a worried expression appeared on her face.

“What are you...?” she began to ask, her voice questioning. Kanan mustered her most reassuring expression and, completely impulsively, placed one hand behind her back and bowed slightly, offering her other one to Mari.

Mari looked down at it and said slowly, “Wait…” For one, panicked second Kanan wondered if that she had gotten things all wrong, that she had only caused problems for Mari and messed everything up. 

Then the edges of Mari’s eyes crinkled as she broke into a smile. “I can’t dance in these heels,” she said and suddenly she was kicking them off to the side and reaching out her hand, despite the spluttering of her father on the side. Kanan stood up as she pulled the other girl forward. She spun her around once, Mari giggling the entire time, and they began to dance in the middle of the ballroom, right in front of the other attendees.

It wasn’t elegant by any means; they were improvising and just stepping along to the beat mostly, with some random twirling thrown in. Kanan knew that everyone’s eyes were on them, but all she could see was Mari, and Mari was all that mattered. The crowd parted as they abandoned their inhibitions and danced from side to side with broad movements. 

In the background, the singer crooned from the speakers:

_ Well it might be me, but the way I see it, _

_ The whole wide world has gone crazy… _

The song was short and faded out after they had been dancing for only a minute or two. Mari curtseyed dramatically as the last note came to the end and they both stood there, breathless and facing each other. Kanan realized she had no idea what they were going to do next. Her only thought had been to free Mari from her father’s machinations, but she actually hadn’t thought this far ahead. Maybe they should make a run for it? Sweat dripped down her neck, and she was profoundly aware of the people whispering and muttering around them.

The sounds of another song started up, and Kanan jumped a little, surprised. She must have left her iPod on shuffle. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Mari’s father storming towards them, glowering. From the other side, the bodyguards were making their way over too, seemingly having given up on locating the sound system’s controls. She gulped and grabbed Mari’s hand, trying to calculate how fast they could run for the entrance. 

Before they could break into a run, though, someone exclaimed, “Oh, how fun!” Kanan turned her head instinctively, just in time to see an older lady with a sparkly dress pull her middle-aged date forward with her to the middle of the dance floor. He begrudgingly took her hand, putting his other on her waist, and they began to waltz around in an almost comical manner. A few other couples looked at each other and, one by one, began to join in. 

Mari laughed. “Look, Kanan, we’re trendsetters!” She squeezed the diver’s fingers tightly, and Kanan laughed too. The night had taken an unexpected turn, but she wasn’t complaining at all. 

They slipped through the whirling guests, with Kanan’s playlist continuing to blare overhead. In the chaos, it was easy to avoid their pursuers, and soon they were stumbling outside into the warm, soft night. The sound of music and people dancing followed them into the moonlit darkness, where they finally stopped to catch their breath by the giant fountain in front of the hotel. 

“Someone’d better stop my music soon,” remarked Kanan through a crooked grin. “Unless they’re prepared to dance to Aqours songs.” 

Mari pulled on a mock-serious face. “Don’t worry. My dad knows all the steps.”

They sat on a bench together, admiring the ocean view, still holding hands. The cool evening air was pleasant after the stuffiness of the party, and Kanan appreciated the faint scent of salt from the sea. The waves crashed soothingly below, reflecting moonlight off their peaks. 

“Hey, Kanan…” Mari’s voice was so soft that Kanan could barely hear it. “Thank you.” Her head thumped softly against the blue-haired girl’s shoulder and stayed there. Kanan glanced at her affectionately.

“Anytime.” She reached over with her unoccupied hand and lifted Mari’s chin gently so she could look at her face. “Wanna hug?”

The words barely left her mouth when Mari threw her arms around her, and they shared a warm embrace that Kanan wished would last forever. Mari nestled so easily into the crook of her neck and the bend of elbows that it was hard to believe they weren’t made to fit each other perfectly.

It seemed like several long minutes before Mari’s hold loosened, and Kanan reluctantly pulled back a little. They both gazed at each other, and Mari’s eyes were so soft and inviting, and her hands were still gripping at fabric of her suit, and suddenly Kanan was swept with an insatiable feeling of love that threatened to burst her heart. As naturally as the tide, she leaned in and caught Mari’s lips with her own. 

The kiss wasn’t full of fireworks and heat. It didn’t shake the foundations of all that she knew, nor did it make her heart stop or her knees shake. It felt really just like taking a breath after surfacing from a dive - a simple loosening of the muscles in her chest, a clearing of her mind, a satisfaction of a need intrinsic to her very being.

It was an eternity before they broke away, but when they did, Mari was smiling that perfect, indescribable smile that Kanan knew so well, better than the back of her own hand, in fact. Mari touched her own lips experimentally, as if trying to preserve the warmth that had just been there. They gazed at each other, the rushing of the waves filling the silence between them. 

The blonde was the first to speak. “I knew that suit would look good on you,” she said smugly, her eyes flicking up and down to admire her own handiwork.

Kanan chuckled. “Can’t say you were wrong,” she agreed. She tilted her head up to look at the moon, which seemed closer and more beautiful than she had ever seen it before. “Well? What should we do now?”

Mari scuffed her bare feet against the concrete, kicking lightly. “I suppose we should go back inside soon. Papa’s not going to be happy… but at least his guests are having fun now!” They both listened to the distant noises of music and merriment coming from the hotel. Kanan didn’t recognize the song, which meant that they had finally found her iPod, but the tune was cheery and rambunctious anyway.

“You know…” Kanan began carefully. “We don’t have to go back right away.”

Mari blinked questioningly. “What should we do instead, then?”

The diver grinned. “Well, for starters…” She got up, brushing at her pants, then held out a hand to Mari, just like before. 

“Why don’t we just dance?”

**Author's Note:**

> Can you believe I've never written a KanaMari fic despite it being my favorite Aqours ship? I didn't intend for this to be a birthday thing but it happens to be Kanan's birthday today too, so happy birthday Kanan. 
> 
> In an attempt to meet with other like-minded people, I've also made a new Tumblr at euphowolf.tumblr.com where I will... most likely not be doing much of anything. Feel free to drop by my inbox and say hi.


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